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If you like to have a lot of programs open at once, it's a good idea to understand how your program windows are organized on the taskbar and how you can quickly sort through them. Learning to manage multiple windows makes it easier to get to a window quickly and to arrange open windows in a way that makes the most sense to you.

Preview windows using the taskbar

All open windows are represented by taskbar buttons. If you have several windows open (for example, if you open more than one file in a single program or if you open several instances of a program such as a web browser), Windows automatically groups open windows from the same program into a single, unlabeled taskbar button. You can point to a taskbar button to see a thumbnail preview of the window or windows it represents.

To preview open windows using Peek

Point to a program button on the taskbar.

Point to a thumbnail. All other open windows temporarily fade away to reveal the selected window.

Preview open windows using Aero Flip 3D

With Flip 3D, you can quickly preview all your open windows (for example, open files, folders, and documents) without having to click the taskbar. Flip 3D displays your open windows in a stack. At the top of the stack, you'll see an open window. To see other windows, you can flip through the stack.

Switching windows with Flip 3D

To switch windows using Flip 3D

Press the Windows logo key
+Tab to open Flip 3D.

While holding down the Windows logo key , press Tab repeatedly or rotate the mouse wheel to cycle through open windows.

Release the Windows logo key to display the window in front of the stack. Or, click any part of any window in the stack to display that window.

To close Flip 3D, release both the Windows logo key
+Tab.

Tip

Another way to use Flip 3D is to press Ctrl+Windows logo key +Tab to keep Flip 3D open. You can then press Tab to cycle through the windows. (You can also press Right Arrow or Down Arrow to cycle forward one window, or press Left Arrow or Up Arrow to cycle backward one window.) Press Esc to close Flip 3D.

Note

Flip 3D and taskbar window previews don't work unless your computer's video card can display the advanced visual effects in Windows. For more information about fixing problems with the Aero desktop experience, search Help and Support for "aero troubleshooter."

To arrange your open windows, right-click an empty area of the taskbar, then click Cascade windows, Show windows stacked, or Show windows side by side.

Tip

You can also use Snap to arrange two windows side by side, if you're using a single monitor display. Drag the title bar of a window to the left or right side of the screen until an outline of the expanded window appears, and then release the mouse to expand the window. Repeat this process with a second window to arrange them side by side. (If you're using multiple monitors, windows will snap to the far left or far right of the area displayed across both monitors.)

You can use Snap to automatically resize open windows and efficiently use some or all of the available space on your desktop.

To expand windows vertically on the desktop

Point to the top or bottom edge of an open window until the pointer changes into a double-headed arrow .

Drag the edge of the window to the top or bottom of the screen to expand the window to the entire height of the desktop. The width of the window stays as-is.

To return the window to its original size, drag the title bar away from the top of the desktop, or drag the bottom edge of the window away from the bottom of the desktop.

To maximize a window to fill the entire desktop

Drag the title bar of the window to the top of the screen. The window's outline expands to fill the screen.

Release the window to expand it to fill the entire desktop.

To return the window to its original size, drag the title bar of the window away from the top of the screen.

Minimize all your open windows and show the desktop

To see your desktop without closing your open windows, minimize all of your windows at once by clicking the Show desktop button next to the notification area at the end of the taskbar.

You can also temporarily preview or "peek at" the desktop by just pointing to the Show desktop button. The open windows aren't minimized, but they fade from view to reveal the desktop. To show the windows again, just move the pointer away from the Show desktop button.

Quickly preview the desktop using Peek

Tip

To use the keyboard to minimize all open windows, press the Windows logo key +M. To restore minimized windows, press the Windows logo key +Shift+M.

If you like to have a lot of programs open at once, it's a good idea to understand how your program windows are organized on the taskbar and how you can quickly sort through them. Learning to manage multiple windows makes it easier to get to a window quickly and arrange open windows in a way that makes the most sense to you.

Group windows on the taskbar

All open windows are represented by taskbar buttons. If you have several windows open (for example, if you open more than one file in a single program or if you open several instances of a program such as a web browser), you might run out of space for your taskbar buttons. To create more space, Windows automatically groups open windows from the same program into one taskbar button.

For example, if you have several Internet Explorer windows open, they will be stacked into one group represented by one taskbar button. When you click that taskbar button, you see a preview of the open windows.

Grouped windows in one taskbar button

If you don't want to group windows, you can turn off grouping. But without grouping, you might not be able to see all of your taskbar buttons at once.

To stop grouping similar taskbar buttons on the taskbar

Open Taskbar and Start Menu Properties by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Taskbar and Start Menu.

If Group similar taskbar buttons has a check mark next to it, the buttons will automatically stack on top of each other. To turn off grouping, click Group similar taskbar buttons, which clears the check mark.

Preview open windows using Windows Flip 3D

With Flip 3D, you can quickly preview all your open windows (for example, open files, folders, and documents) without having to click the taskbar. Flip 3D displays your open windows in a stack. At the top of the stack, you'll see an open window. To see other windows, you can flip through the stack.

Switching windows with Flip 3D

To switch windows using Flip 3D

Press the Windows logo key
+TAB to open Flip 3D.

While holding down the Windows logo key , press TAB repeatedly or rotate the mouse wheel to cycle through open windows. You can also press RIGHT ARROW or DOWN ARROW to cycle forward one window, or press LEFT ARROW or UP ARROW to cycle backward one window.

Release the Windows logo key to display the window in front of the stack. Or, click any part of any window in the stack to display that window.

To close Flip 3D, release both the Windows logo key
+TAB.

Tips

Another way to use Flip 3D is to press CTRL+Windows logo key +TAB to keep Flip 3D open. You can then press TAB to cycle through the windows. (You can also press RIGHT ARROW or DOWN ARROW to cycle forward one window, or press LEFT ARROW or UP ARROW to cycle backward one window.) Press ESC to close Flip 3D.

You can also open Flip 3D by clicking the Switch between windows button
on the taskbar. Click a window in the stack to display that window, or click outside the stack to close Flip 3D without switching windows.

Note

Flip 3D and taskbar window previews will not work unless your computer's video card can display the advanced visual effects in Windows. For more information, see Troubleshoot problems with Windows Aero.